What’s yellow, are all mine Ms..
“Monkey in Singapore Zoo steals bananas from visitor, drags her stroller,” as captured in a video by Miss Hu, a visitor to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Witnessing the macaque’s swift theft of two bananas from a small bag attached to their stroller, Miss Hu’s helper exclaimed, “Ma’am, they know how to open bags!” As the cunning monkey enjoyed its loot a few meters away, Miss Hu pleaded, “Don’t take my bananas!” However, the monkey remained unperturbed, savoring the stolen fruits right in front of them.
“You’re really fat, do you often do naughty things? Do you often steal food?” Miss Hu teasingly asked the cheeky monkey as it indulged in a second stolen banana. Unfazed by her questions, the monkey ignored her and even gave her an annoyed glance when faced with interruption. Attempting a second raid on the visitors’ stroller, the monkey’s heist was thwarted when Miss Hu’s helper quickly moved away, leading the monkey to climb onto an information board displaying rhinos before bidding them farewell.
According to Miss Hu, the monkey did not exhibit signs of aggression during the encounter, as it casually rummaged through their belongings without exposing any food. Although Miss Hu acknowledged the monkey might have a history of such antics, she remained unalarmed as the animal showed no hostile behavior.
Addressing the issue, a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson highlighted that wild macaques are native to Singapore’s forests surrounding the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. To ensure visitors’ safety and enrich the wildlife experience, trained wildlife rangers are deployed as guides across the parks, with signage providing information on appropriate behavior when encountering monkeys.
Guests are advised to keep calm, maintain a safe distance from the macaques, and refrain from using flash photography. Additionally, visitors should avoid making eye contact, chasing, touching, or cornering the macaques. To prevent further incidents, guests are encouraged to store food items in bags instead of plastic bags and dispose of food waste in designated monkey-proof bins around the parks.
The amusing yet cautionary tale of the mischievous monkey at the Singapore Zoo serves as a reminder to wildlife enthusiasts and visitors to maintain awareness and respect when engaging with native wildlife populations.
